Healthy Living

Easy Guide to Best Food Choices

Mar. 1 2023

In South Carolina, nearly two in three adults and one in three children is obese, which can lead to health problems like diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

One of the best strategies to reduce childhood obesity is to improve the whole family's eating and exercise habits. Follow these Go - Slow - Whoa guidelines adapted from the National Institute of Health to help your family make healthy food choices.

Eat Often! GO	Limit Portion Size SLOW	Avoid! WHOA
BREADS AND CEREALS
Whole-grain breads, including pita bread Tortillas Whole-grain pasta Brown rice Hot and cold unsweetened whole-grain breakfast cereals	White refined flour bread, rice and pasta French toast Taco shells Cornbread Biscuits Granola Waffles Pancakes	Croissants Muffins Doughnuts Sweet rolls Crackers made with trans fats Sweetened breakfast cereals

GO	SLOW	WHOA
PROTEINS
Trimmed beef and pork Extra lean ground beef Chicken and turkey without skin Tuna canned in water Baked, broiled, steamed or grilled fish and shellfish Beans Split peas Lentils Tofu Egg whites Egg substitutes	Lean ground beef Broiled hamburgers Ham Canadian bacon Chicken and turkey with skin Low-fat hot dogs Tuna canned in oil Peanut butter Nuts Whole eggs cooked without added fat	Untrimmed beef and pork Regular ground beef Fried hamburgers Ribs Bacon Fried chicken Chicken nuggets Hot dogs Lunch meats Pepperoni Sausage Fried fish and shellfish Whole eggs

GO	SLOW	WHOA
VEGETABLES
Almost all fresh, frozen, and canned vegetables without added fat and sauces	All vegetables with added fat and sauces Oven-baked French fries Avocado	Fried potatoes French fries Hash browns Deep-fried vegetables

GO	SLOW	WHOA
FRUITS
All fresh, frozen, canned in juice	100 percent fruit juice Fruits canned in light syrup Dried fruits	Fruits canned in heavy syrup

GO	SLOW	WHOA
MILK AND MILK PRODUCTS
Fat-free or 1 percent low-fat milk Fat-free or low-fat yogurt Part-skim, reduced fat, and fat-free cheese Low-fat or fat-free cottage cheese	2 percent low-fat milk Processed cheese spread	Whole milk Full-fat American, cheddar, Colby, Swiss and cream cheese Whole-milk yogurt

GO	SLOW	WHOA
SWEETS AND SNACKS
	Ice milk bars Frozen fruit juice bars Low-fat or fat-free frozen yogurt and ice cream Fig bars Ginger snaps Baked chips Low-fat microwave popcorn Pretzels	Cookies Cakes Pies Cheesecake Ice cream Chocolate Candy Chips Buttered microwave popcorn

GO	SLOW	WHOA
FATS AND CONDIMENTS
Vinegar Ketchup Mustard Fat-free creamy salad dressing Fat-free mayonnaise Fat-free sour cream	Vegetable oil Olive oil Oil-based salad dressing Soft margarine Low-fat creamy salad dressing Low-fat mayonnaise Low-fat sour cream	Butter Stick margarine Lard Salt pork Gravy Regular creamy salad dressing Mayonnaise Tartar sauce Sour cream Cheese sauce Cream sauce Cream cheese dips

GO	SLOW	WHOA
BEVERAGES
Water Fat-free milk 1 percent low-fat milk Diet soda Unsweetened ice tea Diet iced tea and lemonade	2% low-fat milk 100 percent fruit juice Sports drinks	Whole milk Regular soda Calorically sweetened iced teas and lemonade Fruit drinks with less than 100% fruit juice

Easy Guide to Best Food Choices

Eat Often!
GO

Limit Portion Size
SLOW

Avoid!
WHOA

GO

SLOW

WHOA

GO

SLOW

WHOA

GO

SLOW

WHOA

GO

SLOW

WHOA

GO

SLOW

WHOA

GO

SLOW

WHOA

GO

SLOW

WHOA

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Easy Guide to Best Food Choices

Eat Often! GO

Limit Portion Size SLOW

Avoid! WHOA

GO

SLOW

WHOA

GO

SLOW

WHOA

GO

SLOW

WHOA

GO

SLOW

WHOA

GO

SLOW

WHOA

GO

SLOW

WHOA

GO

SLOW

WHOA

Related Posts

Superfood of the Month: Cabbage

Superfood of the Month: Peaches

Superfood of the Month: Carrots

Eat Often!
GO

Limit Portion Size
SLOW

Avoid!
WHOA